A federal grand jury alleged that Farnsworth, an electrical engineer, received income totaling more than $221,000 in a three-year period, 1998-2000, but “willfully attempted to evade” his taxes.

Farnsworth failed to file any tax returns for the three years, failed to pay his taxes, and tried to conceal his income from the IRS by transferring assets to fraudulent trusts and hiding his cash in overseas bank accounts, the grand jury charged.

Farnsworth was jailed Friday to await a Monday bail hearing. If convicted of tax evasion, he could be jailed for at least a year and ordered to pay all back taxes.

IRS agents raided Farnsworth’s home nearly two years ago and confiscated his computers and business records.

It’s one thing to have principles and to stand up for them. Some people think all income taxation is theft and feel they are within their rights to refuse to pay it. Some even claim that the 16th Amendment was never ratified. That may be, but in the end, you have to be willing to face the consequences, namely that the government might come after you sooner or later.